For many folks, the possibility of hitting the summer music festival scene—currently inching from longing to reality—is one great aspect of the COVID vaccine rollout. Gigs are being scheduled and artists and roadies are getting back in the saddle—or at least the tour bus.
But don’t let the era of Zoom meetings and binge-watching let you forget that live music can be loud—and thus a threat to your hearing.
If the bands you want to see are going to crank up the volume then there are a couple of things you can do. Not lingering too close to any speakers is an obvious one, while “stepping out” during extended exposure to noise—the kind that a summer music festival offers—is a good strategy. A little rest offers your ears the chance to recover.
The best strategy is to use some decent earplugs. There are plenty of cheap options—though you do get what you pay for.
Regular exposure to loud situations—because you’re an avid concertgoer or work in a loud environment—might make investing in some high-end earplugs a good idea. Hearing health professionals can create custom-made earmolds that are designed to drastically cut down on the decibel level your ears have to deal with while not ruining sound quality (all while being comfortable and unobtrusive).
Don’t assume this is an issue just for the boomers. The fact is that one-fourth of Americans ages 18 to 44 already report some hearing loss. And not protecting your ears from noise exposure is a perfect way to end up dealing with serious hearing issues in the not-too-distant future.